Science

In his book God’s Undertaker, John Lennox makes the important point that
for science to develop, thinking had to be freed from the hitherto ubiquitous Aristotelian method of deducing from fixed principles how the universe ought to be, to a methodology that allowed the universe to speak directly.
Francis Bacon is often hailed as being the father […]

In his book God’s Undertaker John Lennox notes the views of some top scientists who disparage religion. He cites Peter Atkins, Professor of Chemistry at Oxford University, where Lennox himself is Professor in Mathematics, while also being Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College. Atkins states:
Science, the system of belief founded […]

Richard Dawkins regards all religious faith as blind faith, stating that “scientific belief is based upon publicly checkable evidence”, whereas “religious faith not only lacks evidence; its independence from evidence is its joy, shouted from the rooftops.” For mainstream Christianity this is pure baloney, utter nonsense. John Lennox (Professor of Mathematics at the University of […]

In Philosophy Now (Sept/Oct 2009) Raymond Tallis argues against the idea that mind and brain are the same thing. Here he distinguishes between necessary and sufficient conditions. To use his example: it is a necessary condition of Tallis being knocked down by a 97 bus in London that he must be in London. But this […]

A while back I was reading an article in Philosophy Now by Russell Berg in which he presented 15 criteria for distinguishing between a scientific theory and a non-scientific one. Perhaps predictably enough, his first criterion, that a scientific theory uses natural explanations, takes us to the heart of major issues, which, however, were not […]

The Bible teaches that all humans are descended from Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26-2:25; 5:1ff). Paul tells the members of the Athenian Areopagus, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth” (Acts 17:26).
There is some possible, though far from conclusive scientific corroboration of the idea that all […]

Justin Barrett, senior researcher at the Centre for Anthropology and Mind, Oxford University, has conducted research over the last decade which, it is claimed, shows that children are born with a predisposition to see the natural world as designed and purposeful with an intelligent being behind that purpose.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
The preponderance […]